Impatiens plant named ‘Imtrawhit’

ABSTRACT

A new  Impatiens  plant, characterized particularly as to novelty by a flat and strong outward spreading growth habit, freely branching with branches that tend to grow horizontally, resulting in a big and very floriferous plant with large white flowers.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Impatiens walleriana.

Varietal denomination: ‘Imtrawhit’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new distinct cultivar of Impatiens, botanically known as Impatiens walleriana.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program conducted in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. The new Impatiens cultivar is characterized by a flat and strong outward growth habit, freely branching with branches that tend to grow horizontally, resulting in a big and floriferous plant with large white flowers.

The present cultivar originated from a cross-pollination made in 2001, of a proprietary Impatiens selection identified as ‘N2995-1,’ not patented, as the female, or seed parent, with a proprietary Impatiens selection identified as ‘R2317-1,’ not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. ‘Imtrawhit’ differs from its parents primarily in flower color.

The present cultivar has been repeatedly asexually reproduced by cuttings in Enkhuizen, Netherlands, in Angers, France and Gilroy, Calif. over a three-year period. The distinctive characteristics of this new Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction. It takes 6 to 8 weeks to produce a finished plant, depending on the temperature.

This new Impatiens plant is an annual in most climatical zones in the USA, only in zones 9 and 10 it is a perennial plant.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

This new Impatiens plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographic drawing which shows blooms, buds and foliage of the plant in full color, the color showing being as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctive characteristics of this new Impatiens. The data which defines these characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. The plant history was taken on 25 week old plants, blossomed under natural light in the field.

Color readings were taken in the office under ambient light. Color references are primarily to the RHS Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London.

TABLE 1 Differences between the new cultivar ‘Imtrawhit’ and a similar cultivar ‘Imtrawhit’ ‘Imtrarose’ Flower color White Rose Habit Spreading and slightly Spreading with upright at start long trailing branches Leaf color Green Dark green ‘Imtrarose’, co-pending U.S. Plant patent application No. 11/051,269.

-   The plant: -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—‘N2995-1,’ not patented.         -   Male parent.—‘R2317-1,’ not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—10-12 days at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—4 weeks.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, and white in color. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—Makes long branches that tend to grow             horizontally. -   Habit:     -   -   Growth and branching habit.—Freely branching habit, freely             flowering, vigorous.         -   Plant height.—30-38 cm.         -   Plant spread.—80-100 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—33-49 cm.         -   Diameter.—4-6 mm.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Internode length.—0.5-6 cm.         -   Color.—RHS 145A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate/opposite.         -   Length, mature leaves.—6-6.5 cm.         -   Width, mature leaves.—3.4-3.7 cm.         -   Shape.—Broadly elliptic.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Acute.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color young foliage, upper surface.—RHS 146A.         -   Color young foliage, lower surface.—RHS 147C.         -   Fully expanded foliage, upper surface.—RHS 146A.         -   Fully expanded foliage, lower surface.—RHS 147C.         -   Venation, upper surface.—RHS 146B.         -   Venation, lower surface.—RHS 146B.         -   Petiole length.—About 1.7-2.5 cm.         -   Petiole diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—RHS 144D. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single.         -   Number of flowers per leaf axil.—5.         -   Number of flowers and flower buds per lateral branch.—23-25.         -   Flower position.—Above and beyond the foliage and typically             facing upwards and outward.         -   Flower shape.—Rounded, mostly flat.         -   Flowers lasting.—About 7-9 days on the plant depending on             environmental conditions.         -   Flowers.—Non persistent and not fragrant.         -   Flowering.—Indeterminate and continuous.         -   Flowering season.—Year round under greenhouse conditions. In             the garden, flowering from spring until fall.         -   Flower diameter.—About 5 cm. -   Flower buds:     -   -   Rate of opening.—From flower bud to fully open flower,             typically about 6-8 days, depending on temperature.         -   Bud length (at stage of showing color).—About 1.5 cm.         -   Bud diameter.—About 1 cm.         -   Bud shape.—Ovoid.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color, just before opening.—RHS 155B. -   Petals:     -   -   Quantity.—Single, five per flower, imbricate.         -   Length of banner petal.—About 1.7-1.8 cm.         -   Width of banner petal.—About 2.7-3 cm.         -   Length lateral and basal petals.—About 2.7-3.1 cm.         -   Width lateral and basal petals.—About 2.5-3.1 cm.         -   Lateral and basal petal shape.—Obovate.         -   Banner petal shape.—Broadly obcordate.         -   Petal apex.—Retuse to emarginate.         -   Petal base.—Attenuate.         -   Petal margin.—Entire.         -   Petal texture.—Smooth, satiny.         -   Petal color.—Upper surface: When opening and fully opened:             RHS 155B. Lower surface: When opening and fully opened: RHS             155C. -   Sepals:     -   -   Lateral sepals.—2.         -   Shape.—Ovate-lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Length.—3-7 mm.         -   Texture upper and lower surface.—Smooth, glabrous. -   Spur:     -   -   Length.—About 3.1 cm.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Aspect.—Curved.         -   Color.—RHS 145A. -   Peduncles:     -   -   Length.—About 2 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.1 cm.         -   Aspect.—About 45° from the stem.         -   Color.—RHS 145A.         -   Bracts.—At least 2.         -   Shape.—Linear-lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Length.—3-6 mm.         -   Color.—RHS 144A. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Androecium.—Stamen number: Five fused at anthers, filaments             free, hooded.         -   Anther shape.—Obovate.         -   Anther length.—About 5 mm.         -   Anther color.—RHS 155A.         -   Amount of pollen.—No pollen. -   Gynoecium:     -   -   Pistil number.—One.         -   Pistil length.—About 4 mm.         -   Stigma shape.—Columnar, five segmented.         -   Stigma color.—Red purple.         -   Style color.—RHS 155A.         -   Ovary arrangement.—Five celled.         -   Ovary color.—RHS 146A. -   Seed development: Seed development has not been observed. -   Disease/pest tolerance: No known susceptibility to diseases or     insects noted to date. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Impatiens plant named ‘Imtrawhit’, as substantially illustrated and described herein. 